Parallax and SEO: A Guide to Balancing Visuals and Visibility in B2B marketing

In the digital ecosystem, websites usually become a balancing act for the art of design with the science of SEO. While web designers advocate for clean, visually striking websites that captivate and engage visitors – SEO experts continue to push for structures and content that pleases search engines, sometimes at the expense of design simplicity. In this article, we explore this tug of war specifically with ‘parallax design’ websites and our recommendations on designing such websites that balance aesthetics with technical performance for B2B brands.

What is Parallax Scrolling?
Parallax scrolling is a web design technique where background images move at a different speed than foreground images on a website, creates a dynamic and engaging user experience.  

How does Parallax impact SEO? 

While it can significantly enhance storytelling and interactivity of websites, it lends itself to using fewer words which naturally hinders the website’s SEO. Here are the key limitations of parallax websites for SEO:  

1. Page Load Time: 

• Parallax designs often use heavy images, animations, and JavaScript, increasing page load times. 

• Slow load times negatively impact user experience and increase bounce rates, factors considered by search engines in ranking algorithms. 

1. Content Accessibility: 

• Search engines index text content. If critical content is embedded within parallax sections or loaded via JavaScript, it may not be properly indexed. 

• Ensuring all important content is accessible to search engines is crucial for maintaining SEO. 

1. Mobile Usability: 

• Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning the mobile version of content is primarily used for indexing and ranking. 

• Parallax effects may not translate well to mobile, affecting usability and search rankings. 

1. URL Structure: 

• Parallax designs often rely on single-page layouts, limiting the number of URLs and opportunities to target specific keywords. 

• Single-page sites make it challenging to create unique title tags, meta descriptions, and headers for different sections. 

How to optimise Parallax websites for SEO? 

To combat this, there are some important technical considerations to make sure we have not ignored SEO while priortising website design –  

1. Optimize Load Times: 

• Compress images and use modern formats like WebP. 

• Minimize heavy JavaScript and consider asynchronous loading. 

• Utilize browser caching and content delivery networks (CDNs). 

2. Ensure Content Accessibility: 

• Include all important content in the HTML, not just within JavaScript or images. 
• Use semantic HTML to structure content in a way that search engines can parse and understand.

3. Mobile Optimization: 

• Design with a mobile-first approach and test parallax effects on various devices. 

• Use responsive design techniques to adjust or disable parallax effects on smaller screens. 

4. Strategic Use of Single-Page Design: 

• Ensure each section has clear headings and subheadings to help search engines understand the content structure. 

• Use anchor links and fragment identifiers (e.g., #section1, #section2) to create internal links that mimic a multi-page structure. 

5. Leverage Progressive Enhancement: 

• Build the site with basic content and functionality that works without JavaScript, then enhance the experience with parallax effects. 

• Ensure the site remains functional and accessible even if JavaScript fails or is disabled. 

Case Study: Infosys Digital Radar Report 

SCREENSHOT FROM:  

https://www.infosys.com/navigate-your-next/research/digital-radar-report.html 

A project I have worked on highlights this compromise well. Infosys effectively used parallax design for their Digital Radar Report microsite while their main website remains optimized for SEO. This approach demonstrates how parallax should be used for specific projects or campaigns without compromising the overall SEO strategy of a primary website. The microsite relied on paid media and social traffic rather than organic search, highlighting parallax’s potential for engagement in targeted scenarios. 

Conclusion 

Parallax scrolling can enhance user experience and engagement but requires careful consideration of SEO implications. By optimizing load times, ensuring content accessibility, focusing on mobile usability, and strategically using single-page designs, you can create visually appealing sites that also perform well in search engine rankings.  

For B2B clients, parallax is only recommended for specific brand campaigns or storytelling sections, but not for the core structure of a website, ensuring a balanced approach to design and SEO.  

Get in touch with us for support on your next website/SEO project. 

Diwakar Redhu

Digital Marketing Manager

With boundless experience in ABM campaigns for the technology sector, Diwakar generates outstanding results for our clients’ businesses through end-to-end organic and paid media digital campaigns and SEO.  Outside of work, Diwakar a commissioned photographer loves to head to the coast to capture shots.